Advocacy group pushes guaranteed income programs for illegal immigrants

The organization working behind the scenes of a guaranteed income program that’s operating in the largest county in Illinois wants “economic protections” for illegal immigrants.

Community Change Action, the advocacy arm of an organization called Community Change, wants an “immigrant-inclusive democracy” that “will ensure that no person, regardless of immigration status, is excluded from basic social and economic protections.”

As “economic freedom” is a core objective of the organization, guaranteed income is a policy it advocates for. 

“A guaranteed income empowers workers and families with economic security,” the organization states on its website. 

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“We’re organizing towards a future where all of us, no matter what we look like or where we come from, have the freedom to live full, dignified lives,” its site states, over a link to its section on guaranteed income.

Most recently, Community Change advocated for a permanent statewide guaranteed income program in Illinois, building on its success in Cook County. The group helped establish the first permanent cash assistance program in the U.S. Its partner organization, Union for a Guaranteed Income, played a pivotal role in securing $7.5 million to launch the program. 

Earlier this month, Community Change participated in a meeting to gather feedback about finalizing the rules and regulations around the permanent income program. The first round of payments will reportedly begin by late summer or early fall of this year.

“Our long-term vision, our North Star, is to win a statewide permanent guaranteed income program for 100,000 eligible Illinoisans,” Byron Hobbs, director of organizing for the economic freedom team at Community Change, said at a March 7 meeting, according to the Chicago Tribune. 

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The organization working behind-the-scenes of a guaranteed income program that’s operated in the largest county in Illinois wants “economic protections” for illegal immigrants. (Getty Images)

“This event is about educating folks on what guaranteed income is, but also bringing them into the fight as we continue to try and win guaranteed income programs throughout the state of Illinois,” Hobbs said to the attendees at the meeting.

Establishing a federal guaranteed income program is another goal of Community Change, considering their push for “bold proposals for a guaranteed income at all levels of government.”

Guaranteed income is one piece of the broader objective of Community Change Action.

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In addition to advocating for cash handouts to illegal immigrants, Community Change Action previously called to cut off funds from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the wake of the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents. Last month, the organization participated in a press conference and rally in Washington, D.C., demanding their lawmakers to “vote to get ICE out of Minnesota.”

The organization working behind-the-scenes of a guaranteed income program that’s operated in the largest county in Illinois wants “economic protections” for illegal immigrants. (Patrick Gorski/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Desmond Serette, Interim Chief of Programs at Community Change Action, said “communities have bravely confronted these violent attacks by ICE.”

“They’ve shared groceries and medicine, put their bodies on the line, they’ve closed their wallets to the businesses of ICE,” Serette added. “The least our representatives could do is confront this administration, use their power of the purse, and cut off the flow of funds to ICE and CBP.”

Community Change did not respond to Digital’s requests for comment.

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